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^^nga^m 



A SKETCH 



OF THE 



Agricultural Society of St. James, Santee 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



AND AIV ADDRESS 

ON THE 

Traditions and Reminiscences of the Parish 

DELIVERED BEFORE SOCIETY 

ON 

4th of JULY, 1907. 

By DAVID DOAR. 



CHARLESTON, S. C. 

CALDER-FLADGER CO., PRINTERS and BINDERS 

1908 



A SKETCH 



OF THE 



AgrJculturalSocietyof St. James, Santee 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



AND AN ADDRESS 

ON THE 

Traditions and Reminiscences of the Parisli 

DELIVERED BEFORE SOCIETY 

ON 

4TH OF JULY, 1907. 

By DAVID DOAR, 



CHARLESTON. S. C. 
CALDER-FLADGER CO., PRINTERS and BINDERS 
1908. 



/-^.7/ 

"S/,?^:: 



Planters' Club. 



From early times in St James, Santee, Parish there was a 
club on the river section formed by the rire-planters thereon. 
The club-house stood on the road which runs parallel to the 
river, nearly opposite to Bellevue plantation. 

Dinners were given here, furnished by each member in 
turn once a month during the Winter. This house was 
burnt after the Civil War and all of the records, if any 
were kept, lost, so that only the following members can be 
given, who composed it during the twenty years, previous 
to, and including 1800-1. 



Mr. C. C. Pinckney. 
Capt. Thomas IMnckney. 
Mr. Wm. Mazyck. 
Mr. Stephen D. Doar. 
Dr. James Schoolbred. 
Mr. Augustus Schoolbred 
Dr. Philip Mazyck. 
Dr. Samuel Cordes. 
Mr. A. Watson Tordes. 



Mr. 


Wm. Lucas. 


:\]r. 


Robert H. Lucas. 


J )r. 


Alex. E. Gadsden. 


])r. 


John L. Nowell. 


Mr. 


Alex. Mazyck. 


• Mr. 


Edward ]\Iazyck. 


Mr. 


Gabriel Manigault. 


Mr. 


Frederic Rutledge. 


Mr. 


G. McDuffie Cordes, 



The Agricultural Society 

Of St. James, Santce. 



The Agricultural Society of St. James, Santee, which took 
the place of and successor of the old ante-belluml Planters' 
Club of St James, was organized the first part of the year 
1884. 

This Society continued in great activity and usefulness, 
which redounded to the good of the Parish, both agricul- 
turally and socially, until the latter part of 1887, when from 
force of circumjstances it was allowed to lapse, and laid 
dormant until it was re-organized in 1903. 

The following were the officers and members of the old 
Society during its life : 

President, Capt. Thos. Pinckney. 

First Vice President, A. W. Leland. 

Second Vice-President, A. W. Du Pre. 

Secretary and Treasurer, David Doar. 

MEMBERS. 

James C. Doar. Wm. P. Beckman. 

R. T. Morrison, Jr. Hibben Leland. 

A. H. Lucas. Lawrence P. McClellan. 

James B. Morrison. A. H. Seabrook. 

H. M. Lofton. H. G. Leland. 

C. H. Leland. A. M. Skipper. 

Dr. W. T. W. Baker. E. V. Royall. 

Dr. S. D. Doar. F. D. Hughes. 

V. Henry Leland. S„ C. Doar. 

R. M. Lofton. George Campsen. 

J. M. Phillips. F. R. Baker. 

J. P. McClellan. R. T. Morrison, Sr. 
R. V. Morrison. 

In the year 1903, great need being felt for an association 
among the farmers of the Parish, to bring them in closer 
touch with each other, not only socially, but for mutual 



benefit along agricultural lines, at a meeting held at Mr. 
A. S. McClellan's plantation, the old Society, with same 
name was reorganized and the following officers were elected 
to serve for one year : 

H. G. Leland, President. 

J. O. Murray, Vice-President. 

A. S. McClellan, Secretary and Treasurer. 

It was agreed that thereafter meetings should be held 
(luarterly at the different plantations, and that annual meet- 
ings should be held on the 4th of July, when election of 
new officers shall be held, and that dinner shall be served 
on every occasion. 

At meeting held at Laurel Hill plantation July 4th, 1904. 
the following were chosen to serve for ensuing year : 

David Doar, President. 

H. T. Morrison, Vice-President. 

J. Palmer McClellan, Secretary and Treasurer. 

On July 4th, 1905, at meeting held at same place, the 
same officers were re-elected for following year, except Mr. 
J. P. McClellan, who had died during his term of office, in 
Spring of 1905, and Mr. J. J. Murray was elected in his 
place. 

At annual m)eeting, held again at Laurel Hill, the same of- 
ficers Avere unanimously requested to serve Society, with 
exception, that Mr. L. A. Beckman was chosen Secretary and 
Treasurer, vice J. J. Murray, who asked to be relieved from 
acting. The Society met for its annual deliberations and 
dinner at the school building in McClellanville, July 4th, 
1907. After the usual routine business was transacted the 
following officers were elected to serve for the year : 

President, David Doar. 

Vice-President, Horace Leland, (in place of H. T. Morri- 
son, who declined to serve.) 

Secretary and Treasurer, L. A. Beckman. 

The President, David Doar, asked the retiring Vice- 
President to take the chair, stating that he had been re- 
quested to deliver the following reminiscences of the Parish 
of St James, Santee: 



1706-1906. 

(jcntltincn of A(jricultarul ISock'ty of iSt. James: 

\Vliile 1 was on the cars going to Is'ew Orleans some years 
ago, just before entering the city, a ueAVsboy walked through 
the train, ottering the morning newspapers for sale, cry- 
ing: "Buy one, please, it will tell you where you come from 
and where you are going." Now'while I cannot tell you where 
many of you came from, nor would I hazard a guess where 
you are going, I can tell you a few facts of this section of 
ours, which nuiy be new at least, to some of you. ^ 

Go back with me, then, in imagination, to over two hun- 
dred years, and let us take a glimpse of our I'arish in the 
l>ast, and of the peoi)le who dwelt here before us, and see 
for ourselves the change and chances of this mortal life, 
and note the difference between theirs and our time. 

Bear, with me, please a little while I try to do faithfully 
the task I have undertaken, at the re(]uest of one or two of 
our mem[l)ers. 

As you all know, this Parish was settled chiefly by French 
refugees, who came to this country after the Revocation of 
the Edict of Nantz, 1085. We do not know exactly when 
they did come to Santee and surrounding country, but we 
do know that it was sometime between that date and 17()'>. 
^oi' in this year we find them on the coast, along the river 
and on the bank of the Santee, about 25 miles from here, 
in a Mttle settlement called "James-town," (now, or v^hat 
used to be. Col. Palmjer's plantation. Mount Moriah.) with 
church, etc., ])etitioning the Assembly to be made a Parish. 

There was at this period in the Parish, which included 
St. Stephens, about 100 families, from France, likewise CA) 
families from England, who were scattered from the «'oast 
ui» to St John's. We know very little of their manner of 
living, customs, etc., until just previous to the Revolution, 
but we do know that they were peaceable, industrious 
folks, serving their God faithfully in the wilderness, far 
away from the strife, from which they had fled for con- 
science sake. 

As showinff son-rwhat how these Deoole lived. T will quote 
from Mr. John Lawson, who went up the Santee River and 



8 

visited the P^'reiich Settlements on it in the year 1700. After 
mentioning his course up the river from the mouth, describ- 
ing the vast cypress swamps, freshets, etc., and alluding to 
the huge canoes, carrying 50 or GO barrels, built from cypress 
by the French, which were split in the middle and spliced 
and keel put in, he goes on to speak of the inhabitants thus : 
"There are about 70 families settled on this river, who live 
as decently and happily as any planters in these Southward 
l)arts of America. The French being a temjperate, indus- 
trious i>eople, sonu^ of them bringing very little effects, ^-et 
by their endeavors and mutual assistance amongst them- 
selves, have outstripped our English, who brought with them 
larger fortunes." Further he says: "In the Jifternoon we 
met some French cou\ing from church, they were all of them 
clean and decent in apparel, their houses an<l plantations 
suitable in neatness ad contrivance. 

They are all of the same opinion with the Church of Ge- 
neva, there being no difference amongst them concerning the 
punctilios of their Christian faith; which union hath pro- 
pagated a happy and delightful concord in all other matters 
throughout the whole neighborhood; living amongst them- 
selves as one tribe or kindred, everyone making it his busi- 
ness to be of assistance to the wants of his countryman, 
]>reserving his estate and reputation with the same exact- 
ness and concern as he does his own ; all seeniiing to share in 
the misfortunes and rejoice at the advance and rise of their 
brethren." 

Mr. Lawson and Mr. Porcher both state that agriculture 
and Indian trade were the main occui)ation of the early set- 
tlers, and no doubt they used stock-raising to add to their 
revenue and comfort. Of course, all that I have said aj)plied 
to settlers also on coast part of I'arish, for they were a 
homogenous j)eople intermixed with some Scotch, English 
and Dutch emigi'ants. These Frenchmen had some curious 
notions, and one of them was that no good baking could be 
done outside of a brick oven, and always had them, even in 
my early days I can remember that in nearly every yard 
could be seen one under a shed. The pillau was one of their 
favorite dishes, and the GanlTre, or waffle, the jerked and 
I)otted beef and venison are still used amongst us as a direct 



iiilieritaiu'e from tliese old pioneers of good living. Coming 
down to a later date and qnotiug freely from Messrs. S. Du- 
Jlose and F. A. l*oi-cliei' : JJetween ITUO and the Kevolntion- 
ary War, we find these old settlers and their descendants ex- 
panding in their pnrsnits, in order to gain wealth, engaging 
ill the cnlture of indigo, rice and cotton, and in working of 
naval stores and making of tar, to the latter of which the 
many tar mounds in our woods testify. 

Taking up each in order as they occur, I will say some- 
thing about indigo, its culture, etc. This plant cultivated 
at an early date to a great extent in parishes of St Stephens, 
St. Johns and St. James, (many of the vats could lately be 
seen on some of the early settled plantations,) and was a 
great source of wealth to the then planters, and continued 
to be so until the colonies became independent and Great 
Britain withdrew the fostering bounty of Gd. a pound on it, 
and worse still, bringing the products of her other colonies 
in competition, when it was abandoned sometime between 
1790 and 1794. Before the war the price varied from, fl.OO 
to I2..50 per pound. A slight sketch of its culture and prep- 
aration m*ight not be uninteresting. The land was laid off, 
after being pulverized, in drills 12 or 15 inches apart 
and seed sown about one inch deep, mixed with lime 
and ashes. The seed came up in ten days and grew off 
rapidh', required neat and frequent hoeing until plants 
were two or three feet high, when they were cut with a hook, 
and could be cut several times, and carried to vats made of 
planks and raised some height from the ground; when this 
was sufficiently filled it was covered with clear water and 
left to steep until coloring matter was extracted, this water 
was then drawn off to a lower ♦vat, called the "beater," a 
long shaft supplied with buckets or armjs ran lengthwise 
through this, and was turned with a crank on outside. The 
I)urpose of this was to cause the coloring particles to coag- 
ulate, lime was then applied. After it had settled the indi- 
go was drawn off to still another vat and allowed to harden, 
then cut into lumps about one-fourth pound each and packed 
into bags or boxes for market. It was said the manufac- 
ture required great care and good judgment. 

Naval stores was early taken up and introduced by Capt. 
John Balmer and others. He was progenitor of the Palmers 



10 

in upper part of Parish, and was so successful that he went 
by name of "Tui-pentine John." It continued to be worlvcd 
by some of his family nearly unto our day, for just be- 
fore the Civil War his great-grandson, Col. Sam Palmer, 
was engaged in it near Lenud's Ferry. With this exception, 
1 never heard of any one in the lower part of l*arish manu- 
facturing naval stores until Mr. Boswell Skij)per came in 
1858 from North Carolina and settled where Mr. L. P. Mc- 
Clellan now lives and opened up the business in our vicin 
ity which has grown to large proportions and is now only 
languishing for the lack of trees. Kice was introduced in 
South Carolina before 1700 by Gov. Smith, it Avas planted 
in our Parish and St. Stephen's princi]>ally at first for home 
consumption, but as indigo declined the acreage was in- 
creased 3'ear by year until it became not only one of the 
chief products of the i)arishes, but of the lower part of the 
State. When first cultivated high land and little spots of 
low ground were used for the purpose, but when experience 
I)rovod that the plant would grow better in these dam]) 
spots large fields of inland swamps along the various 
swamps and creeks were cleared and used for the making of 
this grain, and springs and artificially nmde ''reserves" were 
used for flowing the land when necessary. These lands be- 
came so grassy in time that they finally had to be aban- 
doned, and the industry moved lower down the river to the 
tidewater region, which was beter adapted to the needs of 
the i)lant as regards irrigation. All who have seen these in 
land rice-fields which extend from coasts all through u]»])er 
T»art of our Parish, and also St. Stephen's, and for the most 
l)art now abandoned, will be surprised to learn, as ]Mr Du- 
P>ose stated in 18.58. "that a century ago this body of land 
grew for ex])ortation 50,000 ba.rrels of rice," and at the tinx* 
he snoke was utterly abandoned as useless. I need not soeak 
the tidewater rice i)lanting. most of you know of it, of the 
vast anif)unt of rice made on these i)lantations, of the Avealth 
accumulated bv those engaged in it up to our war. of the 
decline and fall, and finallv of the total abandonment as 
a cror». When rice was first planted those cultivatina- it 
were much hampered by the slow process in preDarincr it 
for market. Tt was thrashed by hand, then pounded with 



11 

pestle iu woodeu mortai-s liyldiug oue-lialf bushel or three- 
quarter peck, this last was geuerally giveu to the slaves as 
au extra task to be performed iu morniugs aud eveuiugs 
before or after other Avork was done. A little later a rude 
machiue was coutrived with several pestles, called a 
''pecker" machine, from up aud down mjovement of same, 
and worked by oxen. This slow i^rocess of preparation was 
continued until just after the Revolutionary War, when a 
young and ingenious Englishnuin, by name Jonathan Lucas, 
came to Charleston and was asked by one of the Lynches if 
he thought he could put up a machine to clean rice in quicker 
manner* than was then done, the reply was : "That he 
thought he could, and would attempt it." The result was 
the designing and putting up of the first pounding machine 
or mill iu the world on Peachtree plantation, on Lower San- 
tee River, grind-stones and brushes w^ere then added to the 
pestles and water from reserves were used as the motive 
power. This gave great impulse to the pursuit of rice-plant- 
ing, and ere nmny years had elapsed nearly every planta- 
tion was eqiiipped with pounding plant. One was even 
erected on Tibwin place, on coast, and used to pound such 
rice as was then ])lanted on inland swamps near by. 

Threshing mills were soon added aud the prosperous era 
of the grain began. These latter were also, at first, worked 
by water let into adjacent fields at high tide and machinery 
turned by it at the ebb. Steam was not used for the purpose 
until a later time than which I speak. 

Before leaving the subject, I will mention that the l»ar 
rels then used for shi})ping clean i)roducts were made at 
plantation cooper sho])s, with ]>ine staves, birch and white 
oak hoops as material, and were large enough to hold 000 
pounds, this being the weight of the marketable package 
of the day. 

Now I come to the great staple of the I'arisli, of our State 
and of our South — Cotton — and we will see from what a 
small baby the giant of our day s])rung. Can you imagine 
the time when cotton was not planted here and little known 
in our country? Yet. such is the fact, for less than t-^>0 
vears aeo it was not ]>lanted in our parishes, and if it was 
heard of, little notice was taken of it. Xow please. Iwar 



12 



with me, if 1 dwell long- on this subject, my excuse is thiit 
1 know you are all interested and would like to get all in- 
formalion concerning it. Of course, 1 am falling back on 
works of early writers, as you cannot expect one of my age 
to know all this. Mr. DuEose, speaking of short cotton, 
says as early as 1748 we tind among the exports from 
Charleston to Great Britain seven bags of cotton wool, val 
ued at three jjounds, lis, Gd (near |18) per bag. Again 
in 1754 a few bags were exported from South Carolina. In 
1770 there was shipped to Liverpool three bags from NeAV 
York, four from Virginia and Maryland and thre^ barrels 
from North Carolina. In 1785, 14 bags ; 178G, six bags ; 1787, 
101) bags; 1788, 380 bags; 1780, 842 bags; 1700, 81 bags. 

The export of cotton steadily increased until 1704, when 
a great impetus was given to cotton culture by the inven- 
tion of the saw gin by Eli Whitne}'. We can hardly realize 
the vast increase from the beggardly seven bags in 1748 to 
12,000,000 (twelve millions) bales in 190G. 

When the staple was first made in our jjarishes the great 
difficulty was to separate the seed from the lint, this was 
done in the early days by the field laborers, in addition to 
their ordinary work, and about four pounds clean cotton 
was required per w eek. It was pressed into bales by wooden 
screw presses from top of scr-ew extended ''A^' shaped 
arms, pulled around by mules, which served to drive and re- 
verse the screws, and ropes were used to tie the bales. I 
will say in passing that for domestic piu'poses in these prim- 
itive days wool and cotton yarn were spun at home and sent 
to the nearest weaver to be n^ade into cloth. There w^as 
one of these establishments near Murray's Ferry, on the 
Santee River, in AVilliamsburg District,' run by Irish set- 
tlers, which supplied the country around. Thus we see the 
beginning of manufacturing in South Carolina. Long- 
staple sea island or black seed cotton, as an experiment, 
was first grown in Georgia in 178G, and in 1788 the first 
bag exported was groAvn on St. Simons Island. The earliest 
attempt to raise a crop in South Carolina was made in 1788 
by Mr. Kinsy Burden, of St. Paul's Parish, and in 1793 
General Moultrie planted a crop of 150 acres on his North- 
ampton plantation, St. John's, which proved a failure, ow- 



13 

ing to his lack of knowledge of the culture, etc., but this 
did uot check its advauce, for the culture progressed rap- 
idly in all the parishes. Indigo and rice on upper Santee 
v.as abandoned, and cotton took their place, which it holds 
to-da}'. The black seed, or long cotton, of those days was 
not as 3'ou may suppose the fine staple of to-day, improved 
by selection, cultivation, etc., but that was of a coarser grade, 
1 judge, for even in my day there was planted on upper 
ii^antee a grade of cotton called in the miarket ''Santees," 
and better staple than common short cotton, perhaps some- 
thing like the Georgias and Floridas of this time. Origin- 
ally the cultivation in our parishes of cotton was very 
slovenly and crude, the seed was by some put in hills five 
feet square, and by others holes were dug in the 
ground on the level, some distance apart, four hoeings were 
considered sufi'icient to make it, the first being a hoeing 
down or flush process, afterwards it was drawn up. Tlie 
thinning was done by careful hands, three and a half 
aci'es the first and four acres the second thinning. Strange 
as it may seem to you the ploAV was practically unknown, 
and no uianuring was ever done by these early settlers. 
The system then was to clear new fields when the old were 
exhausted. A school boy now knows more about phosphate, 
nitrogen and potash than those old planters. Seldom more 
than 100 pounds to the acre was made until nearer plant- 
ing was later adopted. The preparing of the lint for market 
was very carelessly done, and consequently badly cleaned, 
no pains were taken to pick the cotton free from leaves, 
dirt, etc., and the only process of moting was by whiDpimr 
it with twigs on the floor after it was sunned; and often 
the bag contained stained cotton as well as good. The 
packing was done, as todav. in bass, an old iron axle ivcc 
or pestle used to beat it in. To r>ack one basr of cotton was 
r-onsidpred n mnn's dav's work, and a woman onlv sewed un 
five baos ns her sl'arp. The lint was i^icked from seed bv 
I'onfl imtil the roller pin camp into use. This was at first 
n r-lnnitiilv ponstructpd foot p-irt. wbicli servpd its itiivnoso 
im + il f]io iiiiTiro\'pd pin of tod;iv onmp nloi^o-. Most of fhp 
nrnn ti'hs tbpn pipnpd bv sTnvps n^tpv tlip task xvovk \vn«! 
flopp 171 thp pveniups or pnvlv in thp morninp; before thev 



14 

went out, and four or five pounds was done each time. Evi- 
dently these old, old planters knew how to economize time. 
The tirst gin made to be worked by animal (»r water power 
was the "Eaves," and several followed, all modilicatious of 
the Eaves, but none stood the test and were tinally given up 
for the old foot gin. 

In my boyhood, days I remember seeing at my aunt's/ 
place. Walnut Grove, the negro women ginning on these 
gins, so you see there is scarcely a half generation between 
the clumsy negro power gin and the beautiful steam work- 
ing one of this day. 1 remember, too, on Mr. McClellan's 
l»lace, where Mr. G. Leland's house now stands, was a 
building with gins in room above turjied by mules walking 
in a circle below, and: many a ride did we boys take on the 
beam as it went round. The price obtained, as near as I 
can learn, was from 5U to 75 cents per pound. No doubt 
somie will ask where, did these old pioneers get their lum- 
ber. Well, in days gone by they did their lumber business 
as crudely as they did everything else, but they came out 
on top everytime. After the pole and blockhouse period had 
passed: they began to get boards and lumber, planks, etc., 
by laboriously hewing with the axe, and I have seen some 
of this hewed stuff on trunks and negro houses not long 
ago, and then the saw pit was used, why it was so called I 
do not know, unless originally a i)it was dug for the lower 
man to stand in, for it was above ground and made of ten 
large poles, or six or eight posts on each side four or five 
feet apart, parallel and connected with stout bars. The 
log to be cut u}) was i)ried up to the toi) of these, and one 
man stood above and one below working what was called 
a whip saw u}* and down until the log was cut into lum- 
ber. The task was one hundred running feet per day. This 
mode was used in the i)arish up to and even after the 
Civil War, and I have now several of the old saws. Saw 
mills began to be erected in this Parish shortly after the 
Revolutionary War. There was one at Millbrook on Wam- 
baw Creek, T know, and perhaps there were others of which 
I am ignorant. I have it from good authority that the pro- 
prietor at Millbrook, Mr Gaillard, nearly lost all the prop- 
erty he had there, and had to give up to save himself. Some 



15 

of yon modern niiill men can jndge whether tliis is possible 
from yonr experience. Now somewliere abont 1780 Dr. 
John B. Lynch had Mr. Jonathan Lncas to pnt npon Marsli 
Island, opposite Cape Romaine Lighthouse, a brick wind- 
mill, which for years sawed all. the lumber that was floated 
to it from the adjacent mainland and no doubt furnished the 
lumber from which many of our old houses were construct- 
ed. The tower was, I suppose, near the proportion of the 
old lighthouse, and stood until after our war. It was in 
operation as late as 1789, for Mr, Wml. Lucas, father of Mr. 
Alex. Lucas, was born there in that year. 

Lumber, too, was brought from Charleston after mills 
went into operation there. These mills were equipi)ed with 
what we call gang saws, running uj) and down. 

This Dr. LyncJi was an eccentric character, lived at 
Peachtree until he moved to Tennessee, leaving all his 
landed property behind him. He it was who spent the 
Summer at Raccoon Keys and built his house in a fiat, so 
if a storm came, he would float ashore. He buried his 
daughter on l*eatield by standing coft'in on end and bank- 
ing up dirt around it, a tree now grows out of the top of 
the grave. Eccentric as he was, he was enterprising, as 
evinced by his building of this saw and pounding mill. 
Where the bricks in the early days of the Parish came from 
we do not know, for I can find no record of a brick kiln 
here, unless they were brought from Charleston or George 
town ; at latter place the Messrs. Withers had a brick mak- 
ing plant, where depot noAV stands, at a very early time. 
The lime we knowi was made from shells of the oysters, 
which abounds along the coast, for oni nearly every bluff" 
contiguous to the creeks are the remains of lime kilns; and 
as late as 1800, Mr. A. J. McClellan used to burn lime for 
sale at what we used to call ''Big Landing," in McClellan- 
ville, where Mr. L. P. McClellan 's house now stands, and 
my aunts, the Misses Doar, did the same thing at Walnut 
Grove. A fine tabby work was made from this lime mixed 
with small shells, which j-itands the test of time remarka- 
bly well; specimens of this work can now be seen in sur- 
rounding country. 



16 

But let us pass ou to other matters, which ought to be 
brought to your attention. The records and traditions show 
that all the old settlers lived the year round upon their 
plantations, it was even said that persons came up from 
Charleston and elsewhere in .mid-summer to enjoy the cool 
and delights of the country ou these same places that are 
now considered so baneful to health — as late as 1794, when 
Summer places were established as much for society as for 
health. 

From this time, those that did not go to Charleston or the 
up-country went to the coast and pineland from May to 
November. 

In this Parish there were such settlements on Cedar 
Island, Murphy's Island and other points on the coast, and 
at the end of the "Seven-Mile Road" there was a collec- 
tion of several families. The Episcopal parsonage also stood 
on this road, and the overseers of the river plantations went 
to houses along the river road. 

The people of the upper part of Parish lived at ''Ger- 
man's pineland," what is now "Honey Hill," the Palmers 
and others, n few miles above on sam;e road. Of later day 
McClellanville absorbed the whole, except its rival, Honey 
Hill. 

The first church of the Parish was, of course, the Hu- 
guenot Church, which in after years was merged into the 
Church of England, and this, after the Revolutionary War, 
into the Episcopal, which has come down to our day. 

The first building was erected of wood, before 1700. at 
Jamestown, a settlement on the Santee River, the second 
on Echaw Creek, a little loAver down the river, also of 
wood, in 1714; the third, of brick, on the same spot in 1748, 
and in 17GS the i)resput church, near Wambaw Creek, of 
brick, was finished. The Rev Fenner Warren, and his illus- 
ti'ious son. Col. Samuel Warren, and one of the Horrys lie 
in the churchyard of Echaw; Jonah Collins and one of the 
Rutledges in that of Wambaw, and in each of them others 
of "the rude forefatliers of the Hamlet sleep." All of these 
churches are in ruins except the last, Avhere services are 
still held. In 1S90 our little chapel at McClellanville was 
erected. 



17 

During the British raid in the I'ari.sh the liible and the 
I'rayer Book, presented by Mrs. Kebeeea Motte, was stolen 
and carried to England, and returned to the elinreh after 
the Revolutionary ^^'ar. 

At the same time the Silver Service given by Thomas 
lyvncli was lost. 

During the Civil War the Northern raiders stole some of 
the remaining silver communion i)late from the house of 
Mr. Stephen D. Doar, warden, bnt it was recovered after 
some trouble; (uie piece, the chalice, through the efforts of 
the Rev. Alexander Glenrie, of Georgetown, and Mr. R. G. 
Barclay, of Charleston. This service has been in use since 
befiu-e the Revolution, and is still used. The register of 
the Parish goes back to 1750, and those of the church who 
come and those who go, are still written in it. This regis- 
ter holds the names of the forefathers of many of those 
who are now shining lights in other Christian bodies. 
For this church alone and its pastors watched with jealous 
care over the s])iritual affairs of all in the Parish, and 
tendered ''the Bread of T>ife" to such as would receive it, 
until Methodism, its offsi)ring, came to share its burdens 
and to help lead men to salvation, in the latter ]tart of the 
ISth century. 

The new church grew rai)idly from the old, until it has 
be<'ome stronger than its mother, and is one of the strong- 
est in the I'arish. From the early records we know of only 
two of their churches amiongst us, one, and the oldest, was 
the "Nazareth Meeting House.'' which sto<Ml at the bend 
of the road, just below the ''32 Mile House." and the other 
a few miles above Honey Hill. 

In those days there were no resident ministers for these 
churches, but the itinerancy was in vogue, and these godly 
and self-sacrificing men, "cji'cuit riders" they were called, 
would CO about fronn church to church on ])ony back or in 
gig with a few necessaries in saddle bag, carrvinii' the 
Ciosj)el into dark places and c<>mfort to the sick and afflicted 
without thought of heat or cold, or of hardshin that might 
come on the morrow. They stoi)i)ed wherever nii>ht caucht 
them, eatint;- and drinkinff what was set before them with- 
out a murniur. and T need add never had occasion to shake 



18 



liie duist ol any housc^ oil' tlieii- feet, lor they were welcomed 
aiiu respecieu. 

vvneiievei- uiey came the service wda for tlie whole day. 
I'rom moriiui^ imrii mid-aay — tiieii an intermission or re- 
cess, ana umuer was eaten amongst tiie trees around, then 
anoiiier service, lasting until evening. Many times have i 
and oriiers here attenued tnese meetings, and boys as we 
wer^ enjoyed theiu, though 1 fear we had some fun, too, 
witn tne girls. My aunt, the Misses Doar, w^ere truly 
ji others oi Israel iii this iSazareth Church, and 1 verily be 
iieve that they thought they had special charge of it and its 
ministers, 'lo show how hard it was for them to forego any 
of its services: just after the ^V"ar, when their horses were 
stolen, tne minister came on his rounds, the}' could not 
walk but go they would. kSo had a yoke of oxen caught 
and hitched to the carriage, ordered the old coachman, 
with beaver hat, to the box, and drove to church, quite un- 
conscious of the amusement they were creating, and inno^ 
cent of any loss of pride. In those days the feeling that 
all men were brethren obtained, and creed or sect made no 
difference in kindly feeling. Here is a little incident that 
proved this : There was an old blind Methodist preacher, 
a Mr. Davis, who came to this Parish and chanced to stop 
at Dr. John Palmer, (an Episcopalian,) and there he re- 
mained for twenty-five or thirty years, having family pray- 
ers for them night and morning, and was tenderly cared for 
until he died. I have seen him often, he preached at the 
upper chapel and was buried there. Another Methodist, 
who dwelt amongst us. much beloved by all, though he often 
took men to task for their shortcomings, both in and out 
of the i)ulifit, was the Rev. Daniel DuPre, reared by Col. 
Samuel Warren, and under the influence of the Episcopal 
Church, he was converted and joined the Methodist Church, 
became a i)reacher, remaining faithfully to the last, doing 
such work as came within his sphere; though a Methodist, 
he seemed never to have forgotten the Liturgy of his early 
Church, or to have any repugnance to using it. For years 
lie Avas T>astor of the TTuguenot Church in Charleston; also 
for a long time served the rice planters on Santee River, 
reading our Ei»isco]»al service and ]>reaching every Sunday 



19 

in Wamlmw Cluu-cli. Alter iiwliile one of the IJisliops of 
the Cliureli, objecting to one, not episcopally ordiuned; 
holding service m iiie i urish Cuui-ch, TJie siubboi-u old 
planters shut up their church and built one of wood on the 
"Eiver Road," in which lie couid serve them without hin- 
drance. He was sent with Mr, Alexander Mazyck as I'arish 
representative to Secession Convention in ISGU, and signed 
that document. He was quite an aged man at the time of 
his death. In life he was esteemjed and honored, and in 
death deeply mourned by all. 

The next church in succession to Nazareth, Avhich was 
burnt, was built by Mr. Wrenn on "Moss ^wamp Road" 
soon after the War, and still stands. Later, the McOlel- 
lanville Church was built a few years ago. 

There was no Presbyterian Church in our Parish until 
after the Civil War, and one was put up at McClellanville. 
The nearest to us being Wappetaw, in Christ Church 
I'arish. Mr. DuBose states that, in his boyhood, between 
1790 and 1812, he remembered seeing an aged man of God 
riding past their house, and when asked where he was going 
replied that he was on his way to Mr. McCauley's Church, 
forty miles away, to partake of the Communion. How many 
of us would do this now? Mi-. McCauley was a noted Pres- 
byterian Divine of the day and was pastor of Wappetaw 
Church; he lived there. Before going on, I will mention 
that none of the old brick churches in the lower parishes 
were ever in early times episcopally consecrated to the 
worship of God, nor were they any confirmations, as the 
Church commands, for the sim])le reason that they were no 
Bishops in the Ignited Slates until 1784, when Rev. Sea- 
brook, of Conned icut, went to Scotland and was E]»iscopal- 
ly consecrated by P>isho|> Kelgoin and several otlier P>ishoi)S 
at Aberdeen, Scot land, and bccamie first I>isho]» of our 
('()untr3^ 

Of the schools in the Parish we have the records running 
from 1814, but nothing before this. At that date there were 
two schools kept, one in u])]>er part of Parish, near Echaw 
Cliurch, and so called, and the otlier in the lower part, called 
the Wanibaw School. This last school was kept, prior to 
records and after, just above where the bridge crosses to 



20 

*>■() to Mr. Morrison's place, and near the end of Mr. L. P. 
McClellan's field, on 32-Mile House Road, pnt there, I sup- 
pose, to accommodate the children livino- on both sides of 
Jeremy Creek. It remained there until 1815, when it was 
moved, or one was built near Nazareth Meeting House. Mr. 
Robert Norrell was teacher here in 1822. My father, Mr. 
S. I). Doar, Mr. A. J. McCUellan and old Mr. William Lucas 
mentioned going to the first and my mother to the second, 
where her father, Dr. Samuel Cordes, lived at Tibwin. In 
1824 there were two other schools established, one at Half 
Way Creek and the other on Seaboard. I can not locate 
this latter, but was probably where McClellanville now is. 
The schools before 1860 were so moved about, especially in 
upi)er part of Parish, for convenience of pupils, that it is 
alinost impossible to keep track of location. In 1854 there 
were four schools carried on, one on Seashore and Half 
Way Creek, and two in Ecliaw district. In 1840 there was 
a sm,all school at Awendaw, but this was soon discontinued 
for lack of scholars. The Seashore School;, as it was called, 
was tauglit by N. H. AVells in 1824, Wm Rose, 1837, and 
Sam Mc(2ueen, 1839, and Mr. George Scott, 1844. It was 
finally moved to Mr. McClellan's place, and stood until 1800, 
Avliere D. Doar's house now is. We find Mr. Charles Grimke 
teaching tliere from 1851-1855. Mr Gray, 1850-50, when Mr. 
J H. Leland took charge and kept it until 1803 when he 
moved away during the War, and re-opened in 18()(;, taught 
until old regime and commissioners were abolished by 
U. S. Governntient in that year. 

Mr, Leland's report for 18(>0-01 showed thirty ])upils in 
attendance. Allow me please to say a few words about our 
teacher. He was a man of ability and thorough education, 
and Avas one of the best expiipped to carry out the work 
entrusted to him. He was a first-class teacher and strict 
disci})linarian. No boy or girl ever entered his school with- 
out behaving themselves, and none left it that were not 
thoroughly grounded in the text books that were taught in 
his day. Mr. Leland served this community for years also 
as magistrate and postmaster, and Avas held in esteem by 
everyone. 



2i 

From lS(;:i-(;5, Mr. Hyatt, the Epis<-()pjil rectoi', liatinj; 
to see the children running around, opened a school for 
them and taught from sheer love of doing good, for there 
was no money in it. After his death, 1805, James C. Doar 
taught it for a short while. 

In early days the schools were managed by five commis- 
sioners appointe<l by the Legislature, who did everything 
connected with school system, even examined teachers; this 
mode was abolished in 18(»(), and three trustees put in their 
places under the new school law. The salary paid teachers 
in those days were quite a contrast to the present. I can 
find nowhere of a teacher being paid more than |75 per 
quarter; generally it was |37.50 or |50, and at one time they 
were paid three or four dollars per juipil per quarter. For 
several years Mr, (Jrimjlve and Mr. Gray were compensated 
for 8 months' work by receiving |100. Think of that! ye 
teachers of today. 

It was the custom of those times, though, that those men 
who were ahlc to, should pay for their children, this being 
followed, allowed Mr. Leland, Avho only got |.*5T.r)(l per (juar- 
ter, to increase his salary. 

The first commissioners in the Parish of whom we have 
had any record were Alex. Mazyck, Richard Vanderhorst, 
David Gaillard, John Middleton and William Clieland, Not 
a name represented here now, except perhaps Mr. H. T. 
Morrison, through the Vanderhorsts. The two teachers 
were Jos. Logan and James Butler, and at the last meeting 
held August 17, 180(), under the old law, were present A. J. 
McClellan, A. J. Bailey, E. P. Allston, Elias Butler and 
James C. Doar; thus ended the chapter of the old regime. 

The first Trustees, under new law, were J. C. Doar, L. P. 
McClellan and Paul Drayton, (colored.) 

Forgive me if T mention Avith pardonable j)ride that of 
the 91 years, of which we have a record of our school, my 
family has been represented on the boards for 80 odd 
consecutive years. 

Dr. Samuel Cordes, n\\ grandfather, 1817-1827, ten years; 
S. D. Doar, my father, 1835-1865, 30 years ; James C. Doar, 
1860-1890, 21 yeai's, and Samuel C. Doar from 1890 to 1907. 
The McClellan family vnup next in point of service. The 



22 



teacher who has served the school longest in his day was 
Mr. P. 1). Lincoln, who held his position over 20 years, hav- 
ing started in 1842. And onr friend, Mr. Isaac Epps, holds 
the distinction of being the only instrnctor of the old times 
alive. He tanglit njtpcr school in 1801. 

The muster grounds, a cleared S])ace in Avoods, ]»rovided 
with long shed, a table down the middle, benches, etc., Avas 
another institution of the Parish. Here it was the militia 
was expected to meet and drill. Here it was where political 
meetings Avere held, and here it was that wheneA'er occa- 
sion required the men met either for fun, dinner or busi- 
ness. 

During the life of the Parish there were three (3) of 
these at different times. The first aa^is at head of Cordes's 
Causeway, so called from running through Dr. Cordes's 
plantation. At this place it was that the notorious D. T. 
Hines, of St. Stephen's, appeared at one of the meetings^ 
and when seen, being wanted for forgery, was chased, he 
jumlped on Col. Palmer's blooded mare and escaped, jump- 
ing, he said, Santee Canal, 30 miles aAvay. One of the men 
present flung a bottle of Avhiskey at him, but missed. I sup- 
pose the Avhiskey was punished afterwards. The second 
ground, just on the other side of Palmer's CauseAvay, so- 
called, from Dr. John Palmer liAdng near, the third and last 
■ — this side of same causeway. 

The battalion, composed of comjtany from St. James 
and Christ Church, had muster ground near OAA^endaAV 
P>ridge. At these grounds there were many hot political 
discussions and, times, many a good dinner, and on 4th of 
July there was always a patriotic orator to laud his coun- 
try and deeds of her men. According to law eA^ery man be- 
longed to the militia company, and the company was ex- 
pected to n)|eet and drill six times a year. 

I haA'e been told th.at they carried out the letter of the 
hiAV and let the spirit take care of itself, and that they 
would meet as ordered, dressed in every conceivable cos- 
tume and armed Avith pAery kind of weapon, from flintlock 
to stick, march around a short while in crooked lines, when 
someone Avould cry out : "We have had enough, boys, let us 



23 

take a drink, have a lioi-se race, oi- go to dinner," as tlie 
ease niav be. And ranks wonld be broken fortliwith. 

The officers were the only ones dressed in gorgeous uni- 
forms and cocked liats witli feathers; they strutted around 
with conscious authority. 

These uniforms, tliey say, were always lianded down to 
successors and were worn, no matter what fit tliey niadf; 
on recipient. Another duty of this militia was to patrol 
the country to keep the negroes in bounds. 

No negro was allowed off their owners' plantation after 
dark, without pass, and the patrol system was inaugurated 
to enforce these orders. Some of you remember the old re- 
frain of the darkey — 

"Run, nigger, run, de patrol coniin','' 

In order to show style of summons I will reproduce one 
in my possession : 

MusTERFiELD, 23 Feb., 182vQ, 

Patrol Beat No 2. 
Mr. .S. D. Doar, 
0ir : 
You are hereby required to take under your command, all 
persons, Mable to patrol Duty, from Uellevue to D. Hor- 
ry's VVam] aw plantation, and from Wm. Lucas's Wsmbaw 
place, to Islington, the last included, and perform patrol 
duty accor'.ling to law, and return this Warrant with a list 
of DefauKers, on oath, to Commanding Officer of Company, 
at next Muster day. 

(Signed) John Butler^ Capt. 

The plant(n's on river, and around, also had a clubhouse 
on River Road, where they met, once a month, during Winter 
for social intercourse. Each man took his turn to furnish 
dinner and all necessaries. It was found at first that there 
was great rivalry amongst members, as to who should have 
the best spread. So. to put the richer and poorer contribu- 
tors on same footing and prevent comlpetition, only a cer- 
tain nundjer of dishes of a certain class were to be provided, 



24 



and this Avns rioidlv enforced. In order, too, that diners 
shoiihl not drink too nincli. or *;et under tlie table, only a 
certain <inantity of liipior conld he furnished. In both cases 
wise provision. 

It was not. with these old parishioners, all work and no 
])lay, for they had amusements in abundance, they had their 
fishing ]»arties, their ('a]»e ])arties, their hunting' parties, 
and jud<iing from the ball-rooms in some of the old houses, 
they could not, at least, the young ])eoi>ie. have disdained 
(!ancin<i-. A great custom of these days was to have dinner- 
parties, partaken of by all the surrounding neighbors. 

Those that were fond of horse-racing, would go up to 
IMneville, where was a fine track, and the best horses in the 
country were raced once a year, and the jollity ended, usual 
iy, with some kind of entertainment. 

Some of these horse-lovers must have had racing in this 
I'arish, too, for a few miles above 82 Mile House, on tlie 
"Blue-House tract," is the remains of a course. 

Ky whom built or used is now lost in the mist of time. 
1 have heard that Dr. Cordes had said that a man by name 
of Cox once kept the "32 House," and that he was a man 
of s])orting pi-oclivities. It is i)robable that he might have 
had something to do with the laying of it out. 

We do not know positively who lived at this "lilue 
house." but I think Mr. Bonneau owned it at one time. The 
house evidently took its name from being painted with In- 
digo, as was one in St John's, which was so called from this 
fact. Heniust have been a wealthy old fellow to use pain< 
costing from $1.50 to f2 per pound, the then price of 
Indigo. 

Of ironllrs and trials, tin se old people befo^^ our d^iy 
haid a plenty, but they gave not away to repining or de- 
sjtai]', bul went to work manfully to meet poverty and dis 
asler \vi^h undaunted front, or we would not today be 
enjoying the fruit of their good works. Of storms, of fresh- 
ets, of loss of croj)S, they had an abundance, and after the 
Revolutionary War they were in sore straits of poverty; 
their staple crops. Indigo and rice, almost worthless. Cot- 
ton not yet a paying crop, they had hard times to make ends 



25 

meet and subsist, I>nt tliey never quailed an<l battled faith- 
full}' for those dependent on them, until brighter days eame. 
To those of us who have passed through the like times, after 
the Civil Wav, it is not hard to realize what these old men 
before us had to bear. To skip over minor trials I will sim- 
ply mention one or two calamities and i)ass on. In 1822 the 
liereest gale, ever known on the coast, swept over them, car- 
rying wholesale destruction to crops, houses and everything 
else, even liuman lives were sacrificed to its fury. A great 
many white people were droAvned, and scores of negroes on 
the rice fields and Islands were lost. Not 20 years after 
came the Asiatic cholera, in 1836, and almost decimated 
whole plantations of its negroes, though not many of the 
white i)eople succumbed to its ravages. The negroes had to 
be moved into the pine lands and put into camps, before the 
disease could be checked. 1 have heard njjy father say wLat 
a dreadful time it was, he himself had to be amongst the 
negroes in their time of trouble. 

In 1848 smallijox broke out in upper part of I'arish 
amongst the whites, and Mr. Lincoln wrote to (Commission- 
ers: "I had to close my school on account of the dreadful 
disease, which has broken out in neighborhood." Jn 18(i7 
we again had a visitation of smallpox, but it was chi(^(Iy 
jjiiongst the negroes, a great many of them died. 

I'^xcuse digression, for a second. The River Eoad esitcnded 
along the Santee from Blake's plantation, through this Tar- 
ish, St. Stephen's and St. John's and on up, intersecting 
all roa<ls from river to Charleston,- and crossing Wand)aw, 
Echaw, Santee, Savannah and other large creeks. But the 
bridges on these were found so hard to keep up on account 
of freshets, that sometime about 1840 ^Vam;baw Bridge was 
abandoned and the road was deflected out a short distance 
below Echaw Church and creek, and crossed this creek at 
Charley's Bridge and the other creeks at above narrower 
parts also. 

From the earliest times until the railroad was established 
the road running through the I'arish formed one of the links 
which made the most direct route of travel from Charles- 
ton to the North, then our people were in the world, for all 
who were bound to the most settled part of the United 



26 



f^tate.s had to i)ass this way. Many were the great men of 
that day going- to tlieir duties at onr seat of Goyernnient, 
viewed oiir scenery, etc., as they i)assed ah»ng. P^ven the im- 
mortal Wasliington honored onr Parisli by passing through 
it on his tour, 1791). What we now know as the George- 
town Road was tlie main artery. Lumbering four-horse 
stages Ayent along to and fro daily, carrying passengers and 
connecting at Georgetown with others bound further 
North. 

These stages at first, travelled at night, leaving Charles- 
ton in afternoon and getting to 32 Mile House for supper, 
then on, but in later days a day stage was started by Mr. 
INIatthews, called an accommodation line. These stages were 
broken up when the N. E. R. R. was built. 

All along the road from Charleston to Georgetown houses 
were built and kept for accommodation of passsengers atid 
for furnishing relay of horses. The first at ten mile, called 
in my day ''Mulatto Town," one at the 15 mlile, one at llie 
21, one at 32, and one at Lynch's, uoav Mazyck's Ferry. All 
along the road between each house large wells were dng, 
beside the road, for the purpose of watering the horses. Of 
all these houses the 32 was the most famous. It is put down 
on early maps as "Jones's Inn," but in my early da.s.s we 
called it the Tavern, its collection of houses and long sta- 
bles would have put 3'ou in mind of description of the old 
English taverns. It saw service for long series of y^-ars 
and was kept by many different proprietors, visited by 
crowds of people, distinguished and otherwise, and if it 
could have spoken would, no doubt, have told many strange 
:iud interesting stories of the old time men and women wh(i 
met and conversed in its tow-ceiled parlors, or of those who 
■net there and passed in the night. I have had an old huly 
to tell me that as the stage got to Nazareth Church, ihe 
driver would blow liis horn and give a turn for eaca i)as- 
senger, so that the pro]>rietor of the Inn could know how 
many to prepare supper for. The ferry from Charleston 
(her. was above the present Mt. Pleasant. At what was one 
time called Hibbens and Clement ferries, and before steam 
was used, the boat was propelled by paddle wheels turned 



27 



by mules, or liorses, walking around on deck, which was 
called a ''team-boat." 

We know that there were few Colonial postoffices as 
early as 1700. In 1790 there existed in the United States 
only 75 postoffices and 1,875 miles of post routes. We can 
tell therefore very little of how our forefathers communi- 
cated Avith each other by letter, or how these letters were 
carried, in this section, very probably by private opportu- 
nities, for we are certain that at first there were no, or very 
few public posts. Sometime in the early part of last cen- 
tury there was some kind of postoffice in Charleston, for I 
have heard of letters being brought by stage. Those be- 
longing to persons in vicinity of 32 Mile House were left 
there, and those for the River ( Santee) people were dropped 
at Ferry, all to be called for. This was carried on until 
stages were discontinued, and a once-a-week sulky line was 
established, going through to North Santee. In 1852 there 
were only 484 postoffices in South Carolina. The earliest 
})ostoffice I can remember, 1859-00, was kept near Ferry by 
Mr. Baxley, and the next, during the War, a mile or so 
lower down at Parsonage. Rev. Mr. Hyatt attending to it. 
This he did later, when afterAvards he moved to McClel- 
lanville. The mail service just after the Civil War was very 
])oor, once a week. I remember at one time a negro, for a 
short while, walked the route going and returning. 

Tn the early days of the postoffice the postage charged 
was four pence, six and a half cents, per letter, and it had 
to be prepaid in coin, and if there was no postoffice near 
sender the receiver of it had to pay before it was delivered. 

Think you there would be much correspondence carried 
on or duns sent if those conditions prevailed now? Neither 
was there then. The postage during our War was ten cents. 
T had a letter to my father, some time in the '40s, on which 
was written in place of stamp, not then used, "Charge to 
Robinson and Blackloch," — his factors. 

Neither were there any envelopes in those days, the letter 
was so written that it could be folded, and the ends stuck 
in. and fastened by a little wafer moistened in the mouth. 

The early freight to and from Charleston was carried 
in long, ungainly boats with one large sail, and worse look- 



28 

irig- ones, called Congaree l)oats, with cabiu far to stern, 
plied lip and down the river. Col. I'alniei' had one of these 
craft called the "l*ineli-ee," (a good name,) afterwards 
owned by Mr. t?kippei'. It was so long that the boys used 
to say that her bow reached the village from up the creek 
in the nioining, and that her stern passed the following 
night. ^Vhen the rice schooners came they were of a bet- 
ter class, but were none noted for speed. On ti-ips time was 
no consideration, with the negroes, who were the crew, 
and whenever the tide and wind were against them they 
stopped until favorable, consequently two and sometimes 
three weeks rolled around before- they made the trij). When 
Mr. Ben. McClellau with a little sloop, "Frank Kavenel," 
after the War, made the trip from Charleston to McClel- 
lauville in a week it was considered a wonderful feat. Mr. 
C. H. Leland afterwards beat his record, and thence for- 
ward we had ra^jid transit. There being no stores in the 
Parish jou can imagine with these slow vessels, that house- 
hold and other supplies very often ran out and persons had 
to resort to borrowing from more fortunate neighbors; bor 
rowing was no disgrace at such times, for the borrower well 
knew that he in his turn may soon be the lender of those 
around, and things would be evened up. 

I wish 3'ou noAV to take a glance at the rise of McClel- 
lanville, and 1 trust I shall never be called u]»on to record 
its fall. 

The land on which the village is built was formerly two 
tracts. The dividing line was near the ditch that runs by 
the Episcoi)al Church. One part was owned by Mr. A. J. 
McClellan and the other at one time by a ]Mr. MattheAvs, 
then his son-in-law, Colburn. It was bought before the 
War, 185(1, by Mr. R. T. Morrison, tlie latter, in 1858-59. 
sold three lots, one each to Mr. Baxley, Mr. Leland and Mr: 
Augustus Whilden, who built upon them. Mr. Morrison 
putting up the house he now lives in. 

Br. Cordes, Dr. Smith and Mr. Morrison had houses in 
the village prior to this, Mr. ^lorrison's house stood where 
Col. Rutledge's now is; this land was not sold to them, only 
leased bv Mr. McClellan. In 1800 Mr. McClellan sold his first 



29 

lots to Capt. Torn. Pinckney, Mr. Gabriel Manigaiilt aud 
Mr. Stephen D. Doar for |5(I0 each, and .soon after one to 
Dr. John and Mr. Andrew DnPre. When I first went to 
the village in 18G0 there were only six houses there, not 
counting the old school house, and the other new one, just 
huilt. These houses were Mr. Morrison's, Mr. Hilben Le- 
land's, Mr. Baxley's, where Mr. R. V. Morrison lives; Dr. 
Cordes, where S. C. Dear's house is; Dr. Smith. On Dr. 
P>aker's lot, Mr. A. J. McClellan's. An old house stood 
where L. P. McClellan's is now, and a little shanty, where 
Mr. Skipper's new house is, occupied by Mr. A. Priner. 
Mr. McClellan's negro houses were where the Methodist 
Church now stands. All lands except Mr. IMcClellan's fields 
were woods and old fields. Mr. Munn and Mr. Coleman had 
just moved there. Mr. Munn to point back of where young 
Dick L. Morrison's house is; Mr Coleman back of Mr. S. B. 
King's. Mr. Finklea occupied a house which stood where 
Mr. Ward's house was burnt. Mr. J. B. Skipper lived on 
Mr. L. P. McClellan's place. 

After this the place began to grow, but was nameless for 
some years, until it became necessary to christen it soinc- 
fJiiiif/ for postoflfice and other purposes. Several names were 
|)roposed and discussed — Estherville for ^frs. DuPre; Jere- 
my or Jerryville, after the creek, but with one accord it 
was finally drop]»ed into ^IcClellanville from McClellan's 
]»lace, and stuck there. Allow me to state before I go on, 
that the point now owned by Mr. Skipper, originally the 
])ro]>erty of the Mouzon family, was bought by Col Samuel 
Palmer. He and his brother. Dr. John, s])ent the summer 
there until our War. Nearly all of the War soldiers were 
encamjied there, a bridge being across creek by Mr. Morri- 
son's. From 1801-1S70, and after, the people of the little 
village were more like one large family than otherAvise, 
drawn together by the calamities which follow war. They 
worshipped together. They were together in adversity and 
joy, in sickness and in death. They worked with each other 
for the common welfare and were willing to lend a helping 
hand to those in need. 

Visiting from house to house was universal. It was the 
custom during the War and after for the young ])eople to 



30 



go to "the l>ig- House" of Mr. S. ]). Dour's on Ir^unday even- 
ings, and si)end several lionrs having saered music, a ]uelo- 
deon was the only instrument they had there. 1 fear, 
though, that some of the boys and girls did not attend alone 
for the music, judging by some of the tctc-a-tcte in the cor- 
ners. 

'The Cottage," as it was called, Avhere I now live, was 
a great rendezvous for the boys, and they always found a 
bed there when they staid up too long with the girls, or 
too late to go liome. 

Here it was that Jim Morrison slapped old Mr. Percival 
Vaux, who was visiting Mr. S. D. Doar, mistaking him in 
the dark for one of the boys. His apology was most pro- 
fuse when mistake was discovered. 

Here it was that Hibben Leland shot, out of the window, 
with (unloaded!) gun and scared himself and others. 
Many other amusing incidents happened here, had I space 
or time to tell. In 1S59 a new school house Avas needed in 
the village, and Mr. R. T. Morrison donated the land. All 
of the planters joined together and put up a building, gave 
it in charge of trustees to be used by the community as a 
school house and free church. Mr. Leland taught here on 
every Friday. He employed the scholars with speaking, 
composition, rules in arithmetic, mieasures, etc., until 12 
o'clock, when the Rev. Mr. Hyatt would come in, hold short 
service and address the pupils. He also preached here un- 
til his death, in 1S05. Often have I seen him on Sundays 
walking from Mr. Leland's house, where he staid, in his 
clerical gown going to hold service, and no one th(»ught 
about it as peculiar. 

A few words about this good man ; for twenty years Epis- 
coi)al rector of the Parish, he went about doing good, and 
wherever he thought he was most needed in the Parish 
there he Avas to be found, deeply interested, working with 
might and nmin. He lived amongst his people, and during 
the War administered unto all that came near, comfort- 
ing the sick and wear}', burying the dead and serving his 
• Hock, even in any secular manner that he could, and soon 
after the Confederacy died he laid down his burden. After 



31 

his death the chiuvli was opened regularly t^abbath after 
Sabbath by lay readers, and all that were religiously dis 
posed attended. The men who kept the peojile together to 
serve God have all gone to their reward, but their works 
live after them. They were Mr. J. H. Lelaud, Mr. C. B. 
(Joehran, Mr. A. H. Seabrook, Dr. Baker and Mr. James C. 
Doar. 

Mr. Lelaud/ Mr. Seabrook and others also conducted a 
prayer meeting each week, and whenever the venerable Mr. 
DuPre could preach or other minister came they had the 
united congregation to hear them and the chapel at their 
disposal. 

During those days the men with no thought of denomi- 
national dogma, creed or doctrine attended any service, 
hustled for a living and fought with indomitable perse 
verance the white Radicals and the black allies, who were 
sucking the life blood; of their beloved Parish and State. 

No one who was not in it can realize the mortification of 
being lorded over by negro constables and trial justices, 
etc, and the desolation and degradation of negro domination. 
Also the almost despairing task of meeting and overcoming 
the black majority of nearly ten to one at the election polls 
in the woods, but they won in the end and we are now en- 
joying the fruits of that victory gained by their manhood. 
I will surprise you when I say there w^ere no stores in the 
Parish, or village, until Mr. W. P. Beckman opened one 
and built a house opposite the Methodist Church soon after 
the War. He w^as stationed here with the German Artillery 
during the Givil War, saw the place, liked it and one of its 
girls, came back to settle and made one of our most progres- 
sive citizens. Afterwards he built and moved u]> in the then 
woods, and ])eople thought it was a foolish move, but he had 
faith in our future and acted accordingly, and the years 
justified his judgment. Mr. C. H. Leland kept store in this 
first building until he built where Mr. Gibson now lives. He 
was our second mtn-chant. 

T will ^ay for the benefit of the boys i)resent that in our 
school days we were our own haulers and hewers of wood 
and drawers of water that was used in our school house, and 



32 



if we t^ot a Avliii)piiig' il i»ai(l iis to bear oni' ])aiii in silence, 
for if we told it at home we ^^■el•e sni-e to i;el another for 
having- deserved the first. 

To go back a little, 1 will mention the fact that some- 
time after the settlenijent of the l*arisli a great manv of the 
Frenchmen wlio first settled here moved further u\) the river 
into St. Stephen's and St. John's, thus leaving- tlie English 
in the majority and somewhat cutting down i)opulation. 

Dr. Ihilcho states that in ISl!) the Tarish only contained 
411 white inhabitants. Of course, it has steadily increased 
until the jtresent time. 

Tradition says that there was at least one lynching in 
the l*arish in olden times. It seems that soon after the Kev- 
olutionary \\'ar a negro girl by name of Jemlima murdered 
her mistress, a widow named I'erderiau, lied her two chil- 
dren, rifled the closets and went to enjoy herself at a dance, 
which was progressing nearby. One of the children got 
loose and Ued to Col. Warren. A number of men gathered, 
caplured the Avoman and burnt liei- at the stake. It was 
said that her own father started the lire. 

The Parish has to be credited wilh two murder^•^ one, Mr. 
l>cn. Fort, shot by negro on his ])iazza one night just after 
the War. The olher, Mr McCay, shot near I'almer's liridge 
by an unknown jterson. The ukmi of this Parish liave never 
been ''laggards in ])eace or dastards in Avar" whenever duty 
called them they were to be found ever in the forefront. 
In i)eace look over our land and see the efforts of these 
old ])ioneers. Look at the ditching and draining work they 
(lid; mightier in I hose days than now; look at the rice 
fields they bi-ought into subjection, look at the swamps 
they cleared, the houses they built, the reserves they made. 

Verily, they took a wilderness in hand, conquered the 
land, the Indian and the beasts of the forests, turned it 
ovvv (o us subjugated to agriculture, to the use of men, free 
from foreign rule, civilized, and Ave are getting the benefit of 
their hardshi]) and toil. Tell us not that Ave must not re- 
vere these men and speak of them and of the past. 

This drainage and clearing fever seemi to run in the blood, 
for our old and esteemed friend, R. T. Morrison, a descend- 



33 

ant of oue of these old FreiK-hmeii, Lej;ai-(\ has in his 
younger days drained and brought into use and jti-oduction 
part of Wambaw Swamp, and showed its capabilities under 
cultivation. 

Let us see Avhat the men of St. James have furnished to the 
country and State, and who will live in history. 

Tol. Samuel Warren served in both milifary and civil 
capacity, was in the patriot army all during the Hevolution. 
Was in the siege of Savannah and there lost his leg. Also 
after the War president of the State Senate for many years. 
It is told of him that an old aunt in England sent him 
word that if he fought against his King she hojted his leg 
would be shot off, and when it did happen he promptly had 
it boxed and forwarded to her. 

Gen. Thomas Pinckney likewise did his duty in this War 
and was afterwards for many years Minister to England. 
Daniel Horry, Peter Horry. Thomas Evance, John lilake, 
Isaac Motte, Avere all captains in the second regimient of 
Colonial troops; some of them subsequently were in Ma- 
rion's Brigade. 

This regiment, (second,) commanded by Col. Willam Moul 
trie, was a part of the force that fought the Battle of Fort 
Moultrie. 

I have still in m|,v possession the regimental receipt book 
of Major Thomas Evance, who was paymaster, containing 
the signatures of all of the officers of the sec<md regimlent. 
This Parish was the home of Thomas Lynch, Jr., signer of 
the Declaration of Independence, Jacob and Kebecca Motte 
and others of more or less distinction. Of the private sol- 
diers of the Parish I have no record, but they were there, as 
were the officers, and did their duty to a man, though "un- 
honored and unsung," or their names written on history's 
page. Just here I will mention a prominent man in our 
Parish at one time who lived near Echaw Creek. This was 
Mr. Charles J. Steadman, the grandfather of our friend. 
Mr. Atkinson. He was also Intendant of Charleston, and 
lost his life trying to stop a fire which was raging in the 
city, by blowing up a house in front of it. He had a son, 



34 

Charles Stea<liHan,.who rose to Admiral in tlic Tnitpd States 
Navy and died a few years ago. 

Amongst other men who rose to distinction in State and 
Parish ;it various times were Major Percy, ('ol. J. Bond, 
Ton, (jen. ^'anderhorst, Col. Thomas IMnckney, Jr.. Col. 
Samuel Paln;er, Col. Coffee, Rev. C. C. Pinckney and Mr. 
Warren DiiPre, Professor in Woft'ord College, and there 
may have been others whose names have escaped me. 

We oven had an enemy from the British camp here, for 
after the Revolutionary AVar there settled in this part of the 
country a Hessian by name of Schneider, and worked on 
llie river among the other planters, amassing quite a little 
foi-tune, and now lies buried in the woods, near \Vanibaw 
l)lan1ation. 

It is meet that I mention some of our doctors, the earliest 
of whom we have any knowledge was Dr. Samuel (Jordes, 
who practiced here from about 1813 to the '5()s, and served 
his people not only in a professional way but in the Leg- 
islature arid on various boards of the Parish. He volun- 
teered and served, too, in the War of 1812 as surgeon. He 
vv'as a genial, wholesoul man, much given to ])lain speaking 
and was charitable to the last degree. The friend and 
Father Confessor of both rich and poor, many were the 
anecdotes and sayings of his told. He was a ])lanter, too; 
but it was said that busy with his practice he never made 
iiiucli of a crop except once — a large crop of corn — which 
s(. surprised and delighted him that he dubbed his planta 
tion "Egypt," where, as he said, his brethren could come 
and get jjrovender. Dr. John S. Palmer was at one time his 
young assistant, and afterwards i)racticed in the ui)i)er part 
of the Parish. His successor was Dr. Smith, and after him. 
Dr. W. T. W. Baker and Dr. S. D. Doar. 

To show that the Parish was invaded during the Revo- 
lutionary War by the British, Botta said in his history 
••That Clinton occupied all the country between the Santee 
and Cooper Rivers, and sent a force to scour same in order 
to dis])erse a band of patriots operating there." 

Dr. Dalclio speaks of Cornwallis, whose headquarters were 
at one time on Wambaw i)lantation, of Theodore Gaillard 



35 

passiiiji' tlii'oiigli liere, forcing the aged minister of Echaw 
Chui-ch, Kev. Fenner Wai-ren, to take ])arole and protec- 
tion, and of the Kibk' and IM-ayer Book, etc., being stolen 
by the men. Tradition speaks of Gen. Marion, weary and 
tired, going to ^'Hampton House" to rest, saw the British 
riding up the avenue and had to swim Wamtoaw Creek in 
the rear and hide in the marshes until they left. It is also 
told that just where the (Miarley Bridge road branches "off 
from below Echaw Church from the old river road, a Mr, 
Broughton, fleeing from the enemy, was thrown by his 
horse, swerving from one road to the other, and was killed. 
This angle has since been known by the name of Brough- 
ton's Corner. 

To show you that Marion and his troopers operated round 
here I will introduce a couple of extracts from his letters 
to Col. P. Horry. In one he says : '*You will take command 
of such men as will be collected from Capts. Bonneau, 
Mitchell and Benson companies and proceed to Santee from 
the lower ferry to Lenud's, and destroy all boats and 
canoes on river- and i)ost guards so as to prevent persons 
crossing to or from Charleston on either side of river. You 
will also take Capt. Lenud's company (from this Parish) 
and furnish your men with arms wherever you can find them, 
giving receipt." Again: ''I think you had best move to 
^Vambaw, where forage can be had. Your new position at 
Wambaw will be more secure. Y^our men Avill not be so 
barrassed. When you go to Wambaw send orders to plan- 
tations on Santee uot to thrash or beat any rice but what 
may be necessary for yours or plantation use. I believe that 
Galleys were not at Seewee, as mentioned in miy last. T 
heard yesterday from Daniel's Island and Wappetaw that 
the enemy have returned to town." So you see we helped to 
make history in tliose stirring times. 

And of the won. en, the same then as ever, true to the 
core. Botta says of them : "Amidst the general desolation 
the women of Carolina displayed so much fortitude, so ar 
dent, so rare a love for country that there scarcely can be 
found in ancient or modern history an instance more wortliy 



36 

to excite surprise and adiiiiratioii. tSo far from being of- 
fended by name of Rebel they esteemed it a title of distinc- 
tion and glory." 

Tlie men of St. James were no whit more backward in 
1801-05 to fight for their homes and hearthstones than were 
their forefathers in 177(i, but came forward to a nmn, and 
in the words of the motto of their proud State were ''pre- 
pared to serve her in mind, body and estate," and "to 
never lose hope," and they did it until the Confederacy went 
under, and even after. During her distress and degrada- 
tion in Reconstruction times and negro donunation, our 
Parish furnished tlie nucleus of three companies to the "Lost 
Cause," (though some of the men were from other parishes.) 
First, Thomas Pinckney, Captain ; E. F. Allston, Bacot All- 
ston, A. Watson Cordes, Lieutenants; second, Augustus 
Whilden, Captain; R. T. Morrison, Jr., Lieutenant; third, 
Gaillard's P.attery, A. H. DuPre, J. P. McClellan, Lieuten 
ants; L. P. McClellan, first sergeant. Towards the end of the 
Civil War there Avas a fourth comipany formed of the old 
men and boys called the Home Guard, of which Gabriel 
Manigault was Captain, T. W. Doar and Robert Bailey, 
Lieutenants. 

How I wish 1 knew all of the ]>rivates of these com- 
mands so I could call them by name, for they were true men 
and did men's part nobly at th(>ir country's call, and will 
be honored as long as men value bravery and duty well done. 

I have often heard it said of such and such a company : 
"Oh, they saw no fighting, they were stationed on the coast 
during the War.'' ^ly friends, this should not be said, 
these men were just as courageous and devoted as those 
who went through the storm of battle. No one knows but 
that they chafed under the enforced inactivity. They were 
men and soldiers who obeyed orders, even at the expense 
of inclination and amidst sneers. Because they knew some 
body had to keep the enemy from the coast and guard Tlie 
mothers, wives and little ones of those that were away 
from home. Speak not again, then, of any nmn who from 
force of circumstances remained near home, for he Avas do- 
ing his part in the great drama and enabling you to do 
vours. 



37 

To go on, I will mention some of the men of onr section 
who saw service in other commands than those above; if I 
omit any or uwike a mistake 1 assure you it is not inten- 
tional, for it would give me delight to honor these men. 
Col. H. M. Rutledge went out as Major in Clingman's North 
Carolina Regiment, and afterwards became Colonel of same. 
Dr. fc5. D. Doar was attached to same regiment as Surgeon., 
or assistant surgeon, then he went to Thornton's Vir- 
ginia liattery, and afterwards ordered to hospital work. 
Mil)ben J.eland joined the I'ee Dee Artillery, of Darlington, 
and went through the War with them. K. V. Morrison first 
served in Hami»ton's Jx^gion, afterwards in Whilden's Comh 
pany. He was foolish enough to try to stop a bullet with 
his arm — and suc(;eeded — but he feels it yet. John M. Lof- 
ton was a member of a IMt. Pleasant company, later in Col. 
r.enbow's Regiment, and a courier. H. M. ]jofton went as 
Captain of a Marion company, Avas afterwards in quarter- 
master's or commissary department. William, Munn and 
•lohn Coleman enlisted in Manigault's tenth regiment, the 
former was killed and latter died in camp. James C. Doar 
was a trooper in the Rutledge Mounted Riflemen, Gary's 
Jirigade, seventh regiment of cavalry, and went through to 
A]»pom)attox with them. 

Thonms, IMiilip, John, James and Stephen Palmer served 
in company and regiments unknown to me. The three lat- 
ter gave up their lives for the cause. Philip and Edmund 
Mazyck did their piirt as officers in companies which I can 
not recall. 

J. B. Morrison and l>en. McClellan also went in near the 
close of the War, but commands have escaped me. Archie 
McClellan, Jr, M. O. J. Elliott, Bates, Fortes, Brinson, etc, 
served in one or other of the companies raised here. A. H. 
Lucas was Ca]»tain on Ceii. Trapier's staff, of the School- 
breds, James Nvent through in some command ; J. Stanyarne 
Schoolbred was an intrepid scout in Virginia. Willie 
Lucas in Marion Artillery. Joel H. Raybourne in Gaillard's 
Battery was captured on i)icket duty with others of his 
company at Harrietta plantation and carried oil by the 
Northerners during a raid. 



38 

Jonathan Lucas was in Pinckney's Coniipanv, then in the 
Nitre Bureau; R. H. Lucas, in the engineer corps. (}. Mc- 
Duffie Cordes was in Pinckney's ('oni])any and quartermas- 
ter. Dr. John DuPre was Surgeon, (J. S. A. Last, but not 
least, Mr. Peter Manigault, though over age, went into the 
ranks to. do his part and was killed or died in camp. 

During the War the Federal gunboats Avould make raids 
up Sautee River, the men wovld burn houses, mills, etc., 
and take off the negroes. At one of these times they were 
met at Blake's plantation by Gaillard's Battery, Byrd's 
Battalion and Pinckney's ('ompany. A skirmish ensued, but 
neither suffered and the enemy withdrew alter burning 
Blake's house and mill. 

About this time Mr. Mclnness, Blake's manager, was 
killed by mistake at night on the rice field bank by Confed- 
erate pickets. 

Near close of AVar these same men made night raids, aided 
by negroes, on some of the planters' houses, carrying off' all 
they wished — horses, cattle, poultry, household supplies, ar- 
ticles of value or whatever took their fancy. I went through 
two of these incursions as a boy, and can speak of the hor- 
rors of being^ waked up in the dead of night and having 
the house ransacked by hordes of Northern vandals and ne- 
groes. Just after the War a negro company was stationed 
at McClellanville, and later white infantry. It is but fair 
to say that the Federals, who looted and taught the negroes 
to loot, were only the men from the gunboats which steamed 
up the river. For the regular United States infantry, who 
came afterwards, were a better class of men and behaved 
themselves as soldiers should. They were otficered by gen- 
tlemen. Affiliating with our people, they did all in their 
poAver to restore order and to keep the negroes within 
bounds. They even went so far as to disarm and punish the 
unruly. 

While some of the negroes during the War went off" to 
the enemy the majority staid at home, faithful to the task 
of making i)rovisions, serving their mistresses and doing 
all that could be exjiected of them to fulfil the trust im- 
posed by their masters, who were away. 



39 

However, as soon as the end caiue they, with a few nota- 
ble exceptions, seenijed tt) have lost all control over them- 
selves and to think that all of their master's property was 
their's by ri<>ht of war. They took possession without much 
ado, for white people to go upon plantations at this time 
was to run the risk of losing life at their hands. 

More than once, to my knowledge, some of the jilanters 
were surrounded or shot at. 

On one occasion my father, Mr. S. 1). Doar, was waylaid 
on the way to his plantation by a gang of his own negroes, 
and only by the swiftness of his horse Avas his life saved. 

The F. S. Government took charge of all affairs concern- 
ing the negroes, even regulating any contract for planting 
or otherwise they wished to make with the Southerners, so 
that the planters were often hampered or worried in their 
planting operations by ca])tious officers in Tharleston. 

I still have on hand some of the orders emanating from 
this source. We had two gentlemen here who refused to be 
reconstructed. Mr. Alexander Mazyck and Gabriel Mani- 
gault, said they would not live under the U. S. Government. 
so moved to Canada and died there, exiled for principle's 
sake. 

After the War our men showed the true grit that was 
in them, for after battling for four years with the enemy 
they returned with heavy heart and little else, but their 
hands to fight with poverty and to rebuild devastated 
homes and fields. 

It is needless for me to dwell on tliis, for you well know 
how they conquered obstacles and gained a livelihood. 

I every now and then hear a young person ask : But what 
did you do for such and such an article during the War? 
Well, I'll tell you, we did without a great many things, and 
luxuries were not to be had and not thought of, for we were 
closed to all nations and articles of contraband brough! in 
by blockade runners were only for lln^ rich and favored few. 
As necessity is the mother of invention we in rented, and we 
got almost to believe that the substitute was as good as the 
genuine. Now listen. What we did for coffee, we had 
parched rye, oats or grist; it was hot and black, but it was 



40 

not ('(tffoe. For swoctoiiing we had sor<»liiiiii synij), called 
l(.n.i» sw(M'1(Miiiio'. It took faith to drink it, but sn»ar we 
conhl not j^et. For wheat flour, which we of the coast never 
saw, we had rice flour; clean rice dampened, beaten in a mor- 
tar and sifted; and corn flour. 

We made our homespun clothes, tanned our own leather, 
made our own shoes, but they were not pretty to look at. 
i'oiled our own salt. Twisted our own lines and r<;pe, 
pulled out old duds and forgotten finery from long forgotten 
ti-uuks. Cut up car})ets and bed ticking for the negroes, and 
lived on such plain fare as the farms atforded, and wei'e as 
content as possible, esi»ecially as long as we heard that our 
boys were licking "the f(»e" at the front. 

For medicine, dye stuffs, we went to the herbs of the 
field. For hats, baskets, etc, we used rushes, shucks sind 
<»ur old friend, the jialmetto. Salt was the great industry at 
^IcClellanville during the War, and thousands of bushels 
were n;ade and distributed to suri-ounding country and 
mid<lle i)art of the State at a i)rice ranging at dilferent times 
from |5 to |2() per bushel. 

At first the salt pots, usually an old cylinder boiler, cut 
in half and bi'icked in, were built all along the water front 
of the village, and at night the bright fires were a beauti- 
ful sight. Flats were used to hold water for re|)lenishing 
lui'ing low tide. It was found afterwards that by making 
|)(,nds or wells to hohl the salt water it would get stronger 
by evai)oration. So the salt works were moved to the low 
Hat u;arsh lands, neai- McClellan's Island. 

{hiring llie Civil War a blockade runner came to McClel- 
lanville loaded with, what do you thiidv? Salt! Just the 
thing we did not need. As you may su])pose salt was not 
the only high-i»riced article. Here are a few selected at 
random which brought the following ])rices when they could 
be had at all : 

Cloth, except hoiPjes])un, was not to be had. A pair of 
shoes was worth .f4() or 150, and not very good at that. 
Boots, corl'espondingly higher. Hats, somewhere in the 
same neighborhood. Sugar and coffee wei-e out of the ques- 
tion. \Mieat flour down here was about $200 or |.'>00 per 



41 

barrel. Teas latter part of the War Avas .flO or |2() per 
bushel. Corn was the same. 1 bought meal in Sumter 
( 'ounty tor |(> per bushel, and tobacco |2 to .f8 a plug. From 
an old bill I copied: Hams, |5; bacon, |4.50; lard, |4 per 
pound; and from a. letter in which a party offered hogs alive, 
1 1.50 per pound. Rice was comparatively cheap here, as 
there was a good deal of it on hand Avith no sale, and 
conld only be used for consumption of onr people and ne- 
groes around. 

For writing miaterial, pa})er from old blank books, brown 
or wall paper, or any such thing was used for this pur[>osc. 

Envelopes were home-n^ade out of some stnlf, and geuer 
ally turned and sent back with reply. 

It may be news to some of you that the Confederate Gov- 
ernment, at times, received taxes in provisions. I have in 
my possession a receipt from C. S. A. quartermaster for 
some of this tax in kind. 

Now, I come to the part of my theme which I know not 
how to approach, for I cannot express in words my admira- 
tion for them — our women during the War and after. 
Think you the men suffered? The women suffered more. 
Think you the men brave? The women were more so. 

Think you the men loved the cause? The women were 
more devoted to it. The men felt the shock of battle and 
the discomforts of the body in the field. The women in the 
lone farm houses and plantations suffered the mental pain 
of anxiety, of suspense, of the care of the little ones, of the 
homes and of the absent ones, and least of all, of the coarse 
living of those days. God only knows what they passed 
through and suffered, for they told it not to the world nor 
uttered a murmur. They made the men what they were, for 
to them they ever Avore a braA'e front, and Avith aching hearts 
nnd (piivering lips bade fathers, husbands, lovers, brothers 
and sons— Go. Not in the words of the dames of ancient 
(Ireece and Rome: "liring your shield back Avith honor or 
be brought on it," but go to your countr-y's call and do your 
duty at the front and I will do mine at home. (Jlod and my 
jirayers be with you. Those men made the best soldiers 
the world ever saAv; for they Avere inspired by and fought 



42 

for the noblest, gentlest, most self-sacrificing women in the 
world — the women of our I'arish and of our Houth. 

They never despaired, but toiled with unflagging zeal to 
feed and clothe themselves and those dependent upcm them. 

They made candles, they made soap, they knitted, they 
spun and they wove. But I regret to record that they were 
never clothed like the lilies of the field, for homespun 
dresses and palmetto hats were the best they had, but they 
wore them like queens and felt proud that they were per- 
mitted to put on this badge of allegiance to their coun- 
try and to their dear ones. Let us hope the race will never 
die out in old !?>t. James, that the daughters will be like their 
mothers, beyond compare, and take my word for it the men 
will never be found wanting, for the women make the men. 

Before passing on it may be of interest to mention some 
of the plantations and who owned, lived on and have them 
now. 

Starting at the western end of Parish, "Owendaw" A^as 
llrst owned by Governor Johnson. He it was that first tried 
to make salt by evaporation on one of his plantations, near- 
by, on the coast in Christ Church Parish, which has since 
gone by the name of "Salt Pond. " Owendaw was afterwards 
bought by Mr. Peter Manigault, who lived there until he 
died in the Civil War. It now goes by the name of "Mani 
gault Barony." 

''Walnut Grove" was settled by Major Percy, and was 
his home until bought by Mr. David Doar in 1825 or 'U.S, 
where his father and family lived until they died. It is now 
owned by the estate of Br. Horace W. Leland. On this 
place is the old family cemetery of the Doars. 

"Kensington," the adjoining x)lace, was OAvned by AVilliam 
H. Doar, now by his heirs. 

"Buck Hall" belonged to Gen. Richai'd Vanderhorst. He 
had his family cemetery there, then it became the property 
of Mr. Stephen D. Doar. 

"Laurel Hill" was settled by the Legares, and bought by 
R. T. Morrison in 1850, is now the home of R. Tillia Morri- 
son. 

"Doe Hall" was owned by a Mr. Jones, ])robably the same 
who kept "Jones's Inn," (32 ]\Iile House.) It was sold fo 



43 

Ml'. R. T. Morrison, and in after vears b.v liini to Dr. Ed- 
nmnd and Mr. Bacot AUston, who livod tliere. It is now 
owned by James I>. ]Morrisou. 

"Tibwin"' formerly belonged to Jonali Collins, then to Mr. 
Matthews; later to his son-in-law. Colbnrn. after him to A. 
M. Skipi)er, now to H. G. Leland. 

At "Kit Hall" Mr. Thomas Doar's family lived nntil they 
moved to Walnnt (Jrove, 1825-28, now owned by M. F. 
Skipper. 

"The I'oint," ojtposite Mcriellanville, was the ]»lantation 
of tlio Mouzons until bonght by Col. Samnel J. Palmer. He 
and Dr. John S. l*almer spent the Sumlmers there. It was 
afterwards owned by J. B. Skipper, who lived there. 

The MeClellans ahvays owned and lived on a portion of 
the present site of McClellanville. The other part was the 
l)ro|)erty of Mr. Matthews, then Hnnt, later R. T. ]Morrison. 

''Oak Grove." back of MeGlellan's field, was the home of 
Mr. John Doar, afterwards bonght by Mr. A. J. McClellan. 

"Palmetto," Mr. DuPre's place, was settled by W. TI. 
\>'ells, afterwards bonght by Rev. Daniel DnI're, who made 
it his home. 

The old house stood not far in from where the outer gate 
now stands. 

The next places, I am not very certain abont, bnt tlie 
r?kinners, Shokes, Westbnrys. Rayburns, etc., lived along the 
coast. 

I believe a family of DesGliamps were there also. 

Mr. Ward's place was owned originally by Mr. Tom. Bnt- 
I( r, afterwards b^' Mr. Newell. 

"Ormond Hall," the next place, was occupied for ye.-u-s bv 
Alexander Watson, a Scotch planter, who lost all of his 
famiily in the gale of 1822. The place Avas afterwards owned 
by Arthur Blake, now by Santee Club. 

"Bellfield," nearby, was settled by Mr. Bell, who lived 
there. 

At Bucheit's Bridge, on Georgetown Road, the Bucheils 
owned a place, which was afterwards occupied by Mr. Jack 
Simons. 

Isaac Skipper lived across (he bi-idge on same road. 



u 

The Midieaiix lived nenr a bi-idiieOf that name on the 
( 'olfee Koail. 

Two old bachelors, Mr. Alexander Mazyck and brother, 
had a place on Moss Swamp Koad, and were there as late 
as 1812. 

Mazyck's Jiranch takes its name from them. 

Coffees, Thomsons, etc.y take their name from former 
owners. 

"Blue Honse" was the plantation of the Bonneaus. 

^'Wamibaw" (npper) was the place of Theodore (Jaillard. 

"Ej^ypt," of Dr. Samuel Cordes. 

"Wanipee," of Major Thomas E. Evance. 

"Sprin<>tield," owned by l>r. John S. Palmer at one time. 

Along the Santee River, starting from its mouth, first, 
Murphy's Island, owned by the Horrys, then by William 
lAicas, Avho turned it from a cotton into rice ]»lanlation, 
now by Santee Club. 

"Washoe and Cape" formerly belonged to ^liddletons, 
then to Arthur Blake; now to Sa;ntee Club. 

"Eldorado'' was the home of the Mottes, then the l*inck- 
neys, now owned by Capt. Tom. Pinckney. 

Col. Samuel Mortimer had a little place between Eldora- 
do and Indianfield at one time called Mortimer Hill. 

"Indianfield was originally the plantation of Jonah Col- 
lins, then the Vauderhorsts, now the Mazjcks. 

"Harrietta" was owned first by David Deas Inglis, second 
by Mrs. Harriott Horry, third by Mr. Stephen I). Doar, 
>\ hose father w as born there, and lastly by David Doar. 

"Egremont" Avas the residence of Alex. Watson, bought 
by JMr Xowell, then by S. D. Doar. 

"Woodville'' W'as owned by the Middletons, then by Dr. 
James Shoolbred, then by S, D. Doar, later by T. W. Gra 
Imni. 

"The Wedge," by the Middletons, was settled by Mr. Wm. 
Lucas, now the home of Mr. A. H. Lucas. 

"Palo Alto," owned first by Farr, second by Douxsaint, 
third John Axon, fourth Dr. Alex. Gadsden, fifth Stephen 
D. Doar, now the home of Samuel C. Doar. 

"JJellevue," owned by the Lynches, but David Duas lived 



45 

and pluuted liei-e for numy year.s, afterward occupied by Dr. 
Xowell. 

"Fairfield." owned first by tlie Lynclies, second by Col. 
Tlionias Pinclcney, now l)y Capt. Tlio.s. I'inckney. • 

'Teaclitree" and "I'eafield" belonged to the Lynches. 
Thomas Lynch senior and junior lived here; their brick 
house burned about 1S40 and in ruins uow. 

"Montgomery" (''Oldfield") was settled by Dr. IMiilij. 
■Mazyck for his son, Alex. Mazyck, who lived there and was 
for mauy years Senator from this I'arish; then by S. D. 
Doar, after by James C. Doar. 

Mr. Hallwell kept an Inn and lived at the ferry, 
i hynchen. ) 

''Romney-' was the residence of Dr Philip INIazyck, then of 
his son-in-law, Gabriel Manigault. 

"Hampton" was the home of Col. Daniel Horry, after- 
wards of the Rutledges. 

"Wambaw." (on creek,) owned first by the Horrys tlien 
by Mr. Wm. Lucas. 

"Ehnwood" belonged to the Horrys, was bonght and set- 
tled by S. D. Doar, who lived there. Dr. Samuel Cordes 
also spent several years at this place. 

"Waterhorn" belonged to Hugers, then Horrys, then to 
Mr. Frederic Rntledge, afterwards to J. B. Skipper and L. 
r. McClellan. 

At "Millbrook" lived ^Ir. John Gaillard, then became tlu> 
property of Mrs. Rosa Tzard, afterwards was bought by R. 
I 'on Lowndes. 

"Cedar Hill" was the place of Dr. Tideman, then the 
property of the Hazzards or Trenholms, then to A. AV. Le- 
lund. 

The third Episcopal Parsonage stood on river road near 
lo and opposite Peafleld. It was burnt after the Civil War. 

From here up the river for four or live miles I cannot 
find an}' record of old owners, or names of places until we 
get to where the Jerman family liv-ed below Echaw. On 
this creek an old river road, just by bridge, stood old Echaw 
Church, built in 1748, now in ruins. Just behind the church 
near the Glebe lands, on which lived the pastor, Rev. Fen- 



46 

ner ^^'a^re^, and liis distiiigiii.slied son, ('ol. Samuel War- 
ren, both of Avhoni lie bni-ied in the yai-d of the chnvcii they 
served so faithfnlly. 

Above here and along the river eani,e the plantations and 
homes of the Steadmans, the lilakes, the Guerrys, the Bnt- 
lers, the Balls, the Whites, the Palmers, Col. I'on and others; 
and "Woodstock," the home of David Gaillard, and near by 
the plantation of Mr. Wm. Gaillard; Mount Moriah, the 
site of eTamestown, the i^lantation of Col. Samuel Palmer. 
Lastly Lenuds, at Lenuds, formerly Skrime's Ferry. Here 
stood the stone marking the northern boundary of the 
Parish after St. Stephen was cut off fronj it in 1754. 

Of course, the interior of the Parish was thickly popu- 
lated, but I have not the time nor space to mention names 
did I know them all. 

Coming down near the coast again Islington Avas settled 
and OAvned by John Axon, then S. T). Doar, at present by 
S, B. King. 

Mr. William Webb lived on Georgetown Road, near Moss 
Swamp, (where Mr. A. vS. McClellan's place now is,) and his 
brother. Job, had a plantation adjoining a little higher up 
on the road, wliere he ])assed his life. 

One of these old men, when dying requested that he be 
buried on the place under a large magnolia tree, near road. 
His wishes were carried out. 

Three miles from Lynch's Ferry, on Georgetown Road, 
stands the Parish church of St James, and is now in good 
state of preservation and services are held there occasional- 
ly- 

This church was built in 17(18 and took the place of old 
Fchaw, which was used as the chapel of J'^ase until it fell 
in ruins. 

Let me hasten on as time presses. Before closing I would 
like to make a few quotations from a recent writer in the 
''State," which fits into my subject: 

''Nations have gone down in heroic struggles for the meas- 
ure of Liberty which the modern man possesses. INIyriads 
of strong men have died on battlefields to shape the insti- 
tutions Avhicli he now enjoys. Tn our own history alone the 
page is a bright one. The adventurous and strong peoi>le 



47 

wlio settled (lie pai-isli and riiited States and striitialed 
aniMst fi'ijiiitt'iil liardsliips for generations, were working 
lliat citizens of this day might enj(ty the fruits of the splen- 
did but hard-earned victory. And the snug and Indilferent 
citizen of to-day who imagines in his folly that he is in- 
dependent is the inheritor, in a direct line of the noble men 
of the past, who bore the brunt of the battle and the heat 
of the day. Civilization is a great co-operative society, and 
every man is a debtor to the Past." 

Here are few extracts from address of Bisho]) Fitzgerald, 
Methodist Church : 

"In the old South, and I add old Parish, were the roots 
of the new. They have to-day the same soil, the same 
heredity, the same traditions. The men of the South in days 
of old fought Indians, drank all the strong drink that was 
good for them' and more, exhibited a passion for politics 
that has descended to their children and to their children's 
children, and cherished a punctiliousness on points of honor 
and a devotion to principle that was derided by those who 
Avould have done better by imitating them. 

"Those old Southerners were a peculiar peojjle, trouble- 
some to tyrants and puzzling to i)olitical tricksters and 
trimmers. There never was a liner manhood on earth than 
that of the old South. 

"If called upon to give my advice to our young men I 
should say to them: 'Stay where you are and hold on to 
your lands. There is no nobler secular calling than that of 
a farmer. Conditions have changed somewhat but we un- 
derstand one another, and with less assistance from abroad, 
that we do not ask for, and the exercise of a reasonable 
degree of common sense; and every square mile of this 
Southern land would bloom in bountifulness and beauty,' " 

.My tale is told, im])erfectly done, I know, but it has been 
a labor of pleasure to me. Now it is left for you to say 
whether it has been one of interest to you, or will serve as 
an incentive to better and nobler work hereafter. I trust 
it will. That it may incite you to strive for the uplifting of 
your homes and your I'arish. Tn order to do this well be 
united, live as the men of old, as brothers, working in a 



48 



couiinon cause. And whenever rupture, caused bv d'tler- 
ence in opinion, seems imminent, retlect and think of the old 
rule which may tide you over the rocks : "In essentials. 
Unity; non-essentials. Liberty, and in all things. Charity." 

Try to advance your section and our neighbors', so that 
it will be not only written of you when the records of your 
deeds are nmde up : That the Parish has received no detri- 
ment at your hands. Uut that her banner has bee i car- 
ried forward, and when your grip on it has been relaxed, 
and it has been taken up by the hands of your children, it 
will have been planted in the forefront of progress and pros- 
perity of your time. 

See to it that you serve faithfully your State, your Parish, 
your nation and the Ood of your fathers. "Indeed and in 
truth." Do this and you have the promise that '"all things 
will work together for your good" and for old St. James. 

Thanks, gentlemen, for your attention and patience. 

At conclusion of address Mr. J. B. Morrison moved that 
the thanks of this body be tendered to President David 
Doar, Avhich Avas seconded by Mr. A. W. Leland and unani- 
mously carried. 

Mr. R. L. Morrison then made a few remarks stating 
that he thought this address and history of the Society 
ought to be published in pamphlet form for the benefit of 
members ; and moved that President appoint a committee of 
three to carry out these views, which was seconded by Pro- 
fessor H. Swinton McGillivray in short speech. 

The motion was adopted. 

The President appointed the following gentlemen on com- 
mittee : 

R. L. Morrison, L. A. Beckman, R. Tillia Morrison. 

Dinner was then served and the vSociety adjourned to meet 
at Doe Hall plantation on x\ugust IGth, 1907. 

L. A. Beckjnian. 

Seo-cfa)'!/. 



49 



Members of Society, July 4, 1908. 



A. W. Lei and. 
.T. O. MiiiTay. 
E. A. Gardner. 
David Dear. 
Isaac Epps. 
A. S. McClellan. 
J. J. Murray. 
H. S. McGillivray. 
H. G. Leland. 
H. Leland. 
G. W. Moore. 
A. D. McClellan. 
R. H. Morrison. 
f?. C. Doar. 
G. E. Lincoln. 
A. O. Atkinson. 
K. L. Morrison. 
W. W. Sadler. 
E. J. Lincoln, 
d B. Sutler. 
J. B. Morrison, Sr. 
C. H. Leland. 
P. G. Sessions. 
A. H. Lucas. 
S. L. Baker. 
E. J. Grissell. 
R. E. Gibson. 
G. W. Ward. 
Wm. F. Leland. 
Thos. P. Rutledge. 
C W. Browder. 



R. Tillia Morrison. 
L A. Beckman. 
D. J. Moore. 
J. L. Bazen. 
R. V. Morrison. 
C. C. Marlow. 
H. T. Morrison. 
R. P. Bee. 
J. H. Corbett. 
H. W. Leland. 
S. B. King, Sr. 
G. W. Wilson. 
G. E. Fort. 
J. L. Fort. 
G. E. Beckman. 
Arthur Hodge. 
J. W. Graham. 
J B. Morrison, Jr. 
S, B. King, Jr. 
R. E. Graham. 
AA'. T. Player. 
J. T. Hills. 
J. G. DuPre. 
Ossie McClellan. 
G. W. Munn. 
J. N. Cantey. 
A. A. Wilson. 
J. Frankel. 
H. M. Rutledge. 
A. W. Leland, Jr. 



LIBRftRY OFcoNGRf!? 

014 419 450 



